But that—as Rao's main rival, Sugyana Kumar Deo (Janata Dal) is out to prove—can be a double-edged sword. The widow of the former Raja of Khallikote has won all elections to the state assembly since the early '60s. And her reputation as someone who comes back to her constituents is high. She is as much of a polyglot as Rao, making it easier for her to mix around in a constituency that's predominantly bilingual. Her argument is persuasive. "Narasimha Rao is going to leave this constituency if he wins. Then who will you go to," she asks. "If he can't even come to file his nomination, will he retain this seat if he wins it," she says during door-to-door canvassing. She readily cites Rao's famous statement here and uses it to her advantage. "He wanted to make Orissa a laboratory for development. To do that, he has to first come here."